Red Terror Cichlid Breeding Guide

How to breed Mesoheros festae, an Ecuadorian cichlid that spawns in caves and pits and produces very large guarded broods.

Overview

Mesoheros festae (Cichlasoma festae), the red terror, is a cichlid of Pacific drainages from the Esmeraldas River in Ecuador to the Tumbes River in Peru (FishBase, Seriously Fish). It reaches about 25 cm and is a cave brooder that lays its eggs in caves or sheltered areas and digs spawning pits in the substrate.

Sexing

Females keep their juvenile colours of vivid red with black bands, while males grow larger (Seriously Fish). This is the most reliable way to tell the sexes apart in mature fish.

Breeding Setup

A large tank with caves and an open substrate for digging suits the species. Seriously Fish gives breeding water of about 25-29 °C, pH 6.0-8.0 and hardness 4-18 °dH; FishBase lists a species temperature range of 26-28 °C and pH from 7.0. Sexual maturity begins at roughly 10-15 cm.

Spawning Behavior & Trigger

A number of spawning pits are dug in the substrate, then the female lays her eggs in a sheltered place or cave (Seriously Fish). After hatching, the fry are moved to these pits and the parents continue to guard them very carefully.

Egg & Fry Care

The female can lay up to about 3000 large eggs (FishBase, Seriously Fish). Eggs hatch in 3-4 days and the fry become free-swimming around 5-6 days post-hatch, still guarded by both parents.

Common Challenges

Breeding can be troublesome due to pairing problems, and an incompatible weaker fish may be killed; growing six juveniles up until a strong pair forms is the recommended approach (Seriously Fish). The very large broods require substantial grow-out capacity.